Mobile machines such as compactors, track-type tractors, motor graders, wheel loaders, and the like, generally operate by moving over or through a work site and have the capacity to alter the geography of the work site with a tool or operative portion of the mobile machine such as a compacting wheel, blade, shovel, bucket or the like. During operation, the mobile machines are frequently required to move in a rearward direction, i.e., in reverse.
Due to limited operator visibility toward the rear of many mobile machines, back-up alarms are often provided to warn people in the area that the mobile machine is moving in reverse. Typically, it has been the practice to provide an audible alarm as the back-up alarm. However, under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to choose either a visual alarm or an audible alarm. For example, it has long been recognized that at work sites located near residential neighborhoods, the alarm sounds of audible back-up alarms can be quite irritating to nearby s residents, especially at night. Thus, it may be desired to activate the visual alarm at night as opposed to the audible alarm.
Various back-up alarms have been developed that provide an audible alarm and a visual alarm. In British patent publication GB 2040092 A, Lin discloses an alarm system for activating a back-up alarm on a vehicle. Lin teaches activating a visual alarm at all times when the vehicle is moving in reverse. Additionally, an audible alarm is activated in combination with the visual alarm when an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle during rearward motion. However, the patent publication does not address situations in which it is desirable to activate either the audible alarm or the visual alarm singly or in combination.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.